White Plague

November 10, 2014
The pseudonymous Abel makes his thriller debut with this well-written if unoriginal entry in the world-threatening deadly virus genre. Col. Joe Rush, doctor, war hero, and man with a dark secret, leads a team of Marines on a mission to save the U.S. nuclear submarine Montana, which is on fire and stranded in the Arctic Circle. Meanwhile, a mysterious disease has stricken the crew, and a Chinese submarine is headed to the scene, intent on stealing the sub’s secrets. The familiar cast includes a love interest, several quirky experts, an officious government functionary, a best pal, and a spy who’s always one step ahead of the team. Joe has been telling his superiors for years that “the next big outbreak of human disease might come from a cold climate, not a hot one,” but, as usual with prescient heroes, no one believes him, so now the planet is about to pay the price. Abel piles plenty of trouble on Joe and his gang, but the outcome is never in doubt. The unusual Arctic location is a plus. Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM.

This audio launch of a series featuring Marine doctor Joe Rush, who fights various military biohazards, is ICE STATION ZEBRA for the 21st century. Abel (a pseudonym for author Bob Reiss) offers an arctic thriller complete with nuclear submarines, icebreakers, wind-whipped treks across the ice, and Inuit wisdom. Narrator Ray Porter has a strong voice, good pacing, and a real talent for conversational voices. He ably keeps track of a handful of characters, and his delivery of tense scenes is taut without being overdramatic. Listeners will get a dose of Tom Clancy's penchant for lists of military hardware, but even those who don't know an M16 from an F-22 will find this a good listen. F.C. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine